Sound familiar? Well, for those of you who have added “pinning” to your list of skills, it does.

Pinterest. To those who think I’m making up words, let me clarify. Pinterest is the newest edition to the rising tide of social media—being dubbed the “latest and greatest” by top tech and social bloggers everywhere. From a mere 1.6 million users in September, to a staggering 7 million unique users in December alone, Pinterest is gaining popularity—not only among the personal user, but businesses everywhere.Since their beta (testing) launch in May of 2010, it was a little over a year later that Time Magazine featured Pinterest in their “50 Best Websites” column. After that, it’s been a steady growth of exponential proportions.

To give you a quick synopsis of what Pinterest is all about; it is essentially a giant sharing mechanism. Each user creates “boards” with varying categories, such as “recipes,” “products I love,” “places I want to go,” and more. You can follow your friends’ boards and “like,” “comment,” or “re-pin,” items that you find interesting.

The real question is: “What does this mean for your company?”

It means that now people have the ability to share your products among their entire network, then on their network’s network, and so on. Pinterest has been recognized as the catalyst, driving millions of new users to sites that they initially had no interest or awareness. Now, I see an outfit I like, so I follow it to its associated link on Pinterest. When I get there, I see a stylish fashion blogger with a listing of where she got her clothes. Not only do I follow this blogger religiously, I go to her referred sites such as Zara, Etsy, Gap and Jcrew to buy the items that she is wearing.

On a more local scale, I have pinned photos taken by an Orlando photographer, that have now gone viral via Pinterest—resulting in a booked out wedding season for his photography services. Or, last week, I was ecstatic about a new café in our nearby Winter Park, called Le Macaron—appropriately named for their delicate pastries. After making my purchase, I took a photograph of the beautiful display in my kitchen, and pinned it to one of my boards. The next day, it had been “re-pinned” by 12 people, followed by multiples comments asking me exactly where they could find the new store. With the simple click of a camera phone and a pin, Le Macaron gained recognition and business.

Granted, not all of us are selling cute little French pastries, or fashionable dresses. However, there is a market for many companies among this pinning frenzy—you just have to find the right angle to use it.

Determine exactly what your product or service is that customers may be interested in.

Creat an account for either, or both:

Yourself

Your Company

Follow/Invite Your Network

Start Pinning!

Laser Hair Removal: Pin a clean bikini line photo from your website, with a caption reading “Spring is in the air—I will definitely bemaking the investment for this at [insert company name].” or if you are pinning from a company account: “Spring is in the air—Schedule your laser hair removal now for a reduced price of [insert promotion].”

Auto Parts: Pin a great car with one of your parts in it on your website, stating “Just fixed up this great ’77 Ford Bronco—we love working on refurbished and new cars alike!”

Event Planner: Pin a photo from your site, showing off your work with a caption reading “ Beautiful display of flowers, with a shabby chic accents”

Now, pinning may not be the best marketing strategy for every company. However, it is a great way to leverage your work, and build a loyal following. The greatest part about Pinterest, is that you have the chance to present people with an idea that they may have never thought of—that’s the beauty of it. People use Pinterest just as much as an inspiration tool, as a planning outlet. It is your job to tap into your company’s strengths to inspire them to use you. By gaining their attention, you’re gaining their network’s attention—and that is what social media is all about.